Treat yo'self!

[johnnyreece]

So, I was drilling some holes in an old radio chassis for a project I'm working on. My bits were having a helluva time trying to get through it. So, I struggled through about half a dozen holes, then went to the hardware store and bought a couple Milwaukee Red Helix cobalt bits. Wow! I couldn't believe how nice it cut, without turning to molten metal. I wish I had done this a LOOOOOONG time ago! So, public service announcement: When it comes to drilling metal, get some good bits. You deserve it!

[Reeltarded]

ahaha YES a very good idea!

[thetragichero]

for the money these are nice bits

[katopan]

I too only found out the joy of cobalt drill bits a few months ago. What a difference!

[professormudd]

Cobalt bits are the bees knees.

Without them, though, it is important to not use too high a speed on your drill. It creates too much heat and softens the cutting edges on the tips of your drill bits and they dull very quickly. Gotta ease into it and find that "sweet spot" speed.

[johnnyreece]

Yeah, I just set my drill press as low as it'll go. I think it's around 600 RPM, which is probably overkill (or is that underkill?). Either way...wow! I'm drilling an old radio chassis, which is pretty substantial as far as what I typically drill, and I had a dozen holes drilled in no time flat. Having the right tool for the right job is the cat's pajamas!

[pompeiisneaks]

I've actually gotten a lot deeper in to metalworking due to my massive failures (often) with chassis' and working with metal in general.

There are actually specifically ideal speeds for drilling based upon the metal itself. Each metal type has different characteristics and needs speeds to adjust for htem. Aluminum is 'gummy' and pretty soft, so it often needs to be done quite a bit faster than other metals. Steel on the other hand is hard and needs to be done slower.. Oddly enough, though, with very small sized drills, you always want to go fast... not sure why... here's a chart for those that are interested:

https://www.sserc.org.uk/wp-content/upl ... -chart.pdf

~Phil

[ChopSauce]

Right man!

A hammer & that
(sorry, I don't know the english for "pointeau")

pointeau.jpg

a drill press, a very small (2 mm) bit for the first drill and of course sharp bits, definitely!

I don't care much about neither speed (which should be a bit on the high side on my cheap drill press) nor bits quality (the cheapest being less durable, probably) for rather thin metal, but I would recommend a stepped bit, too - especially for diameters above 7-8 mm.

[dgrainger]

Center punch. I like an autopunch. spring loaded, and no hammer required, so you can mark with one hand.

[Phil_S]

Choosing the right drill bit. I found this was informative, and at 2:00 minutes, just right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GExp8SBhsNg

[xtian]

I have had a 6" digital caliper for many years, and I rely on it all the time for many critical measurements. It finally started to get a little mushy, not returning precisely to zero each time. So I bought a new one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GSLKIW

This new caliper puts the old one to shame! It's SO accurate! I measured my guitar strings, and it reports: 0.0090" and 0.0420". That last digit is a throwaway, because it only ever shows 0 or 5, but still, that's a spot-on measurement for a $25 tool. Very pleased.

[johnnyreece]

I have had a 6" digital caliper for many years, and I rely on it all the time for many critical measurements. It finally started to get a little mushy, not returning precisely to zero each time. So I bought a new one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GSLKIW

This new caliper puts the old one to shame! It's SO accurate! I measured my guitar strings, and it reports: 0.0090" and 0.0420". That last digit is a throwaway, because it only ever shows 0 or 5, but still, that's a spot-on measurement for a $25 tool. Very pleased.

I may have to do this. Been using the same Harbor Freight model for years. Nice to have a thread of folks saying, "Yeah, you NEED that tool!"